His Majesty's Dragon Audiobook By Naomi Novik cover art

His Majesty's Dragon

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His Majesty's Dragon

By: Naomi Novik
Narrated by: David Thorn
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In the first novel of the New York Times bestselling Temeraire series, a rare bond is formed between a young man and a dragon, and together they must battle in the Napoleonic Wars.

“A terrifically entertaining fantasy novel.”—Stephen King

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies . . . not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons.

When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future–and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

“Just when you think you’ve seen every variation possible on the dragon story, along comes Naomi Novik. . . . Her wonderful Temeraire is a dragon for the ages.”—Terry Brooks

Don’t miss the magic of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series:

HIS MAJESTY’S DRAGON • THRONE OF JADE • BLACK POWDER WAR • EMPIRE OF IVORY • VICTORY OF EAGLES • TONGUES OF SERPENTS • CRUCIBLE OF GOLD • BLOOD OF TYRANTS • LEAGUE OF DRAGONS©2006 Naomi Novik; (P)2007 Random House Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House Inc. Alternate History Contemporary Dragons & Mythical Creatures Epic Fantasy Fiction Historical Locus Award Paranormal & Urban Science Fiction Dragons Epic Fantasy Mythology War

Critic reviews

Praise for His Majesty’s Dragon and the Temeraire series

“These are beautifully written novels—not only fresh, original, and fast paced, but full of wonderful characters with real heart. [The Temeraire series] is a terrific meld of two genres that I particularly love—fantasy and historical epic.”—Peter Jackson

“A terrifically entertaining fantasy novel . . . Is it hard to imagine a cross between Susanna Clarke, of Norrell and Strange fame, and the late Patrick O’Brian? Not if you’ve read this wonderful, arresting novel.”—Stephen King

“A splendid series . . . Not only is it a new way to utilize dragons, it’s a very clever one and fits neatly into the historical niche this author has used.”—Anne McCaffrey

“Just when you think you’ve seen every variation possible on the dragon story, along comes Naomi Novik. Her wonderful Temeraire is a dragon for the ages.”—Terry Brooks

“Enthralling reading—it’s like Jane Austen playing Dungeons & Dragons with Eragon’s Christopher Paolini.”—Time

“A completely authentic tale, brimming with all the detail and richness one looks for . . . as well as the impossible wonder of gilded fantasy.”—Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice, Grade: A)

“Novik has accomplished something singular with her Temeraire series. . . . At its heart, it’s a story about friendship that transcends not only time and class, but species.”—NPR

“[Naomi Novik] is soaring on the wings of a dragon.”—The New York Times

“A thrilling fantasy . . . All hail Naomi Novik.”—The Washington Post Book World

“An amazing performance . . . [I] was immediately hooked by the writing, the research and the sheer courage of the whole enterprise.”—Chicago Tribune

“Novik’s influences run the gamut from Jane Austen to Patrick O’Brian, with a side trip through Anne McCaffrey. Her books are completely involving and probably addictive, their central conceit explored in clever detail with a great deal of wit and historical insight.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Something new and quite wonderful . . . The Temeraire trilogy could well be this year’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.”—BookPage

“A superbly written, character-driven series . . . What keeps one turning the pages is the urge to find out what happens next to Captain Laurence and Temeraire, characters who win one’s heart from the beginning. Bravo!”—Booklist (starred review)

Featured Article: 10 Wondrous Women Sci-Fi & Fantasy Authors for You to Explore


A guy’s genre? Get real! Led by grand dame Octavia E. Butler, women rock at writing epic science fiction and thrilling fantasy. Fantasy and science fiction have historically been dominated by men, perpetuating the myth that they are male genres with predominantly male writers and listeners. Nothing could be further from the truth, as these famous female fantasy and science fiction authors prove. Speculative genres are for everyone.

Featured Article 10 Wondrous Women Sci Fi and Fantasy Authors for You to Explore
Wonderful Alternate History • Loveable Characters • Creative Concept • Compelling Storyline • Imaginative Worldbuilding

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The AUDIOBOOK is abridged- I usually list ten and read alternately. Will NEVER buy an abridged audio book again. Solid re-imagining of history (his-story, men & battles) with dragons as war machines. Outstanding imagining of dragons as not only sentient, but scholarly and artistic. Battles are not my thing.

Not her best work

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Compelling story that is well performed. I do not read abridged books and I don't audit abridged books. I will revisit this series if and when they produce it unabridged.

Down with abridgments

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The story: A wonderful alternate history of the Napoleonic war where dragons provide the aerial support for both sides of the conflict. Good swashbuckling fun written in an engaging prose that is evocative of the period it is set in without being cumbersome. Naomi Novik has created a wonderful secondary world and filled it with loveable characters both human and draconian; the death scene of one of the dragons brought tears to my eyes. Highly recommended.

The audiobook: David Thorn was an excellent choice for the narrator of Novik's series. His characterizations are different enough without being vocal caricatures, and his nasal, high tonality for the voices of dragons creates a trademark which allows the listener to just enjoy the ride without having to puzzle out who's speaking. Superb narration on a par with Simon Prebble's.

Eragon meets Master and Commander

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I listened to this book a while a go and forgot to review it. I liked the story a lot, but the narration left a bit to be desired. It moved well and I will finish this series eventually. Good for anyone that loves dragons and history mashed up together.

Good. Narration was decent.

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This book is an interesting look into what the world might be like if dragons still lived.

The only thing I didn't like about the performance was that the reader spoke too low at certain times. Part of the time, I was listening at work in a loud environment, and so it made parts hard to hear. It was fine in the car.

Interesting.

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Great, short, and a wonderful way to introduce the reader to a new idea and concept. I cannot wait to read on and see what happens to the characters!

lovely short intro

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This is an abridged version of the book but was not listed as such. Very disappointing Audible.

Abridged

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I love the way that she was able to incorporate dragons into a history that we know a great deal about. The way she “designed” the dragons and their captain and crew is so good. I have read this before, years ago, and it is so nostalgic coming back to it. A great listen(even if it was the abridged/shortened version)

The story

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I wanted it to go on forever. Absolutely amazing!!! The narrator made the Dragon(s) and people sound just right. His pacing was also very good and I was able to follow along during the several battle scenes without getting lost in the action. The naval battles were also very well described.

Horatio Hornblower with Dragons

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Where does His Majesty's Dragon rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's solidly in the middle of the pack. It's a great story, that took a little to get into, but then it kept you going. I'd love to see this storyline continue.

What other book might you compare His Majesty's Dragon to and why?

Maybe Terry Brooks Landover series. Or Paolini's dragon series. This is an unusual take on dragons and puts them into our world right now, without being crazy.

What about David Thorn’s performance did you like?

He sounded very British, which fit this book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Its a little long for one sitting, but I did find as it went on, I wished I could listen longer and longer.

Not your typical Dragon Story

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